Page 63 of Hate It with You

She perks up a bit. “So business has been good?”

I wince. “Not exactly, but it’ll pick up soon, I’m sure. With the holidays coming up, I’m hoping gift shopping will save my finances for the year.”

Her eyebrows pinch in confusion. “Then what?”

I turn my body toward her, shoulders crouching forward of their own volition. My voice is quiet when I say, “He’s out, Sienna.”

She jumps off the counter. “He’s what?” Her voice is loud, shock overcoming her tone. The level of her voice snaps the guy's attention to us in an instant.

“Talking about me again, sweetheart?” Alex says, a smirk coming over his face. It’s the second time he’s tried flirting with me, and I can’t bring myself to do it back. Not if getting closer to him means harm coming to him. Not if he would willingly take it if it meant I was safe.

I don’t so much as look at Alex as I grab Sienna’s elbow lightly and tug her to the back room, creating more privacy for the two of us. And more comfort for my chest with Alex out of sight.

Her arms are crossed now, concern overtaking her face as she looks at me intensely.

“Frank’s out. Benny told me when he was visiting.” My voice is quiet as I get the words out.

Sienna’s mouth falls open. “That was months ago, Beth. Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“You had just started your new job. I didn’t want to worry you. Especially not after everything I put you through last time.” My mind drifts back to when Frank first got arrested. Benny was at a friend’s house and Frank had beaten me so badly that I barely made it out of the house in time to get to Sienna’s, thankful that she only lived a few blocks away. Her parents took one look at me and immediately called the police. When Frank showed up drunk off his ass a few minutes later, John decked him so hard he was knocked out on the front porch until the police arrived.

My mom played the damsel-in-distress card with the police, acting like she didn't know. She did. Benny and I always knew she did. She just didn’t care.

I still had bruises by the time prom rolled around. Too embarrassed to wear the strapless dress I'd picked out weeks before, Sienna offered an alternative. So we spent the night in our dresses eating ice cream and watching movies from our early childhood until we passed out on her bedroom floor.

Tears spring to my eyes as I look at my friend. “I remember how much the trial affected your life. Your parents’ lives. I didn’t want you to have to deal with all of this again.”

“Me?” Sienna’s voice is soft as she places a hand gently on my arm. “Beth, I’m worried about you, not myself. Have you told Alex anything?”

I look at her, surprised by the question. “What? No, why would I tell him?”

“Well…” She waits for me to interject, but I don’t, so she continues, “With all the added cameras, it seems like at least one of you is paranoid, and no offense, but you’ve never been the best with technology.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, Alex put them up. But he’s a freak, and I think he just wanted to watch me.”

She levels me with a look at my sad attempt at deflection, asking, “Is there something more going on? Has Frank tried to contact you since he’s been out?”

I pause, thinking through my response. Frank is watching me. I don’t know how, but he clearly is if he knows about Alex. I can’t let him go after Sienna too. He might be scared of John, but if he’s drunk enough, that won’t stop him.

Fighting my conscience, I make the decision to lie to my friend. “No, it’s nothing. Nothing I can’t handle at least.” I swallow the tears behind my eyes, straightening out my shoulders. Hoping she’ll buy my fake confidence and we can move on from this.

She nods. “Alright, but tell me the instant anything happens. Or try opening up to Alex. He seems to care about you. Either way, I’m here for you.” She glances out into the bookshop, where the men are still working to fix the broken window. “We all are.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.

26

BETH

Afew weeks have passed since my window was fixed, and I haven’t heard from Alex. Not that I expect him to reach out to me given our last conversation, but it’s surprising. The tiny blue light still turns on at night when the sun goes down, but this time, the light doesn’t turn off like before.

Almost as if he’s watching me from a distance, in case I need his help again.

I won’t. I can’t.

I’m sitting in my reading chair, staring blankly at page eleven of the book I started reading when I first moved in, when my mind keeps wandering to my conversation with Sienna.

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to tell Alex the basics. Not giving any details away or Frank’s name by any means, but enough to get him to stop pressing the issue so much. If he stops, then maybe Frank won’t see him as a threat anymore. Then maybe we can go back to what we were.